Occupational form
Fire recruit medical
A fire recruit medical is a fitness-for-hire examination for a fire service. Municipal departments print their own PDFs; many borrow structure from NFPA-style occupational fire medicals. The job is heat, smoke, heavy PPE, ladders, and sudden aerobic demand. It is not a police recruit medical, not a gym PAR-Q, and not a generic pre-employment form for a desk.
What the department is screening for
Uncontrolled asthma, significant coronary disease, uncontrolled hypertension, seizure disorders, insulin reactions, and musculoskeletal limits that fail a ladder or a drag are the usual medical stops. Aerobic capacity testing (VO2 or a department protocol) may be separate from your physical. Do not tick “fit for firefighting” if you only did an office BP.
Use the department’s current package. If they require a designated occupational-health clinic or a specific NFPA-referenced protocol, follow that. Family-practice letterhead is not a SCBA clearance.
Smoke and SCBA are the job
Lung disease, claustrophobia that prevents mask use, and beard policies that break the seal are operational issues. Record respiratory findings honestly. Do not pass someone you would not put on air.
Who completes it
The examiner the fire service named. Candidates complete history pages. Do not complete those for them. Do not mix this with a police package because both are “first responder.”
How to complete the exam form
- Identity against recruiting ID.
- Respiratory history and exam; spirometry if the form requires it.
- Cardiovascular: BP, pulse, murmur, ECG if required, symptoms on exertion.
- MSK: shoulders, back, knees, grip — enough to speak to hose, ladder, and drag.
- Vision, hearing, colour as specified (hydrant markings and smoke-filled rooms).
- Metabolic: diabetes management if present; seizure history.
- Fit / unfit / further testing against this department’s standard.
- Medications that impair heat tolerance or alertness.
Worked example (fictional)
Municipal fire recruit — occupational health
Fictional 29-year-old. Do not copy into a real fire medical.
Department form. Spirometry within the printed normal, no current wheeze, no SCBA intolerance history. BP 126/80, no exertional chest pain, resting ECG normal as required by this package. MSK: full shoulder abduction, straight-leg raise negative, can heel-walk. Vision and hearing meet the form. Candidate history: no insulin, no seizure. Not on sedating meds. Fit for this department’s recruit medical pending their separate VO2/candidate physical ability test — I did not perform the CPAT. Not a police medical. Not a commercial driver medical. I am the designated occupational-health physician.
Why departments send it back
- No spirometry when the form required it.
- Fit ticked without the aerobic test the department still requires.
- Wrong service form (police or generic hire).
- Beard/SCBA issue ignored.
- Examiner not designated.
Draft the fire recruit medical from the exam
In Scribeberry, open Forms, search for fire recruit medical or firefighter medical, or upload the department’s current PDF. Generate from the encounter and your notes, then review every field before you sign. Scribeberry does not pre-map this form. You still review and sign. Scribeberry does not send the file to the fire service.
Frequently asked questions
Is NFPA 1582 the Canadian law?
No. Some departments use NFPA-style protocols as a reference. Complete the PDF in front of you. Do not invent NFPA boxes the form does not have.
Does a passed CPAT replace the medical?
No. Physical ability and medical fitness are different doors. Do not mark medical-fit because they passed a candidate physical.
Can I clear them if they have mild asthma?
Only if the department’s standard and today’s findings support it. Uncontrolled or recently unstable asthma is a different answer. Write the control, not the label alone.
Does Scribeberry submit this to the fire department?
No. Scribeberry helps you complete the PDF. You return it through occupational health. Keep a copy under those rules.
Forms
